The Benefits of Investing in Québec

Labour

A Qualified, Abundant Labour Force

 

The working population in Québec, known for being qualified, dynamic and creative, is an estimated four million, giving Québec the second-largest labour pool in Canada.

 

85% of Québec workers hold high-school or post-secondary diplomas. In addition, the proportion of graduates has continued to rise over the last ten years.

 

Breakdown of labour by level of education,
Québec, 20071

Level of education

Workforce

Employed

Available

University diploma

904,800 (22%)

872,200

32,600

Post-secondary diploma

1,659,900 (40%)

1,561,400

98,500

Partial post-secondary education

295,300 (7%)

268,200

27,100

Secondary school completed

662,900 (16%)

615,200

47,700

Partial secondary school education

449,900 (11%)

386,000

63,900

0 to 8 years of schooling

177,400 (4%)

148,800

28,600

TOTAL

4,150,200

3,851,800

298,400


1 Average for 2007
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

 

 

Breakdown of Labour in Québec, by Sector, 2005


Québec's High-tech Expertise

 

R&D spending is growing faster in Québec than in the other Canadian provinces :

  • Since 1983, R&D spending, expressed as a percentage of GDP, has risen 3.6% per year on average compared with 2% in Ontario and 1.3% in Canada as a whole.

  • Since 1995, R&D spending in proportion to provincial GDP has been higher in Québec than any other Canadian province.

     

Source: Ministère des finances, Economic and Financial Profile of Québec, 2011 edition.

 

Montréal has one of the highest concentrations of high-technology jobs in North America along with San Francisco, Seattle and Boston. In addition, Montréal ranks third in North America in terms of employment growth in high technology (2006-2007), thanks to fast-growing ICT sector. (Montréal International, 2009).

 

  • In 2011, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec had more than 60,000 members.